Junior Achievement Programs

Junior Achievement Programs

Junior Achievement's unique delivery system provides the training, materials, and support necessary to bolster the chances for student success. The impact is measurable, too. Students who participate in Junior Achievement programs demonstrate a significant understanding of economics and business concepts. We invite you to take a closer look at our programs!

Our programs help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities.

JA Be Entrepreneurial challenges students, through interactive classroom activities, to start their own entrepreneurial venture while still in high school. The program provides useful, practical content to assist teens in the transition from being students to productive, contributing members of society. (Grades 9-12)

JA Career Success equips students with the knowledge required to get and keep a job in high-growth industries. Students will explore the crucial workplace skills employers seek but often find lacking in young employees. Students also will learn about valuable tools to find that perfect job, including resumes, cover letters, and interviewing techniques. (Grades 9-12)

JA Company Program unlocks the innate ability in high school students to fill a need or solve a problem in their community by launching a business venture and unleashing their entrepreneurial spirit. The program focuses on Company Ops, the majority of meeting time, where students build and manage their business. Meeting-specific, student-friendly materials and resources increase student interaction and emphasize JA’s experiential approach to learning. (Grades 9-12)

JA Economics for Success gives students the information needed to build strong personal finances, a cornerstone to a happy, secure life. Students learn the importance of exploring career options based on their skills, interests, and values. They also learn about spending money within a budget; saving and investing wisely; and using credit cautiously. (Grades 6-8)

JA Economics reinforces concepts of micro- and macro-economics by having students explore the basic characteristics of the U.S. economic system and how economic principles influence business decisions. It also introduces students to consumer issues, such as saving, investing, and taxation. (Grades 11-12)

JA Exploring Economics uses hands-on activities to explain complex economic concepts such as supply and demand, inflation, and the production, distribution and consumption of goods. It gives insight into the effect governments and individuals have on the global economy— and on the price of a loaf of bread. (Grades 9-12)

JA Global Marketplace Blended Model introduces students to the global marketplace and the ways in which countries buy and sell from each other. Through completion of this program, students will gain an understanding of producers and consumers in the interconnected global market. (Grades 6-8)

JA Global Marketplace takes students on a spin around the world. Students learn the products they use every day, like their backpacks and sneakers, might use raw material from one country, be assembled in another, and sold from Peking to Chicago. The program helps students understand how goods flow through various economies and the effect globalization has on their lives. (Grades 6-8)

JA It's My Business! encourages students to use critical thinking to learn entrepreneurial skills. Those skills include knowing customers' wants and needs, launching effective marketing, and creating detailed business plans. By examining the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, students learn that a belief in one's self can make positive things happen in life. (Grades 6-8)

JA It’s My Future provides practical information about preparing for the working world. Students learn about career clusters, high-growth jobs, career planning, and creating a personal brand. And, through a scavenger hunt, they are introduced to the basic aspects of job hunting. (Grades 6-8)

JA Job Shadow prepares students to be entrepreneurial thinkers in their approach to work. In-class sessions prepare students for a visit to a professional work environment, where they will face a series of challenges administered by their workplace hosts. Students learn how to research career opportunities and the skills needed to land and keep their dream job. (Grades 9-12)

JA More than Money introduces students to financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and to social studies learning objectives that include money-management skills, goods and services, and global markets. Through hands-on activities and a JA cast of characters serving as symbols for financial literacy and entrepreneurship concepts, students will learn a practical approach to starting a business and making smart decisions about managing money. (Grades 3-5)

JA Our City featuring Cha-Ching introduces students to financial literacy and learning objectives for third–grade social studies, including how people manage their money and the importance of economic exchange within a city. (Grade 3)

JA Our Community uses posters and games to offer practical information about businesses and the many jobs those businesses offer in a community. Students explore production methods through a simulation game, and they learn about taxes, decision making, and how money flows in an economy. (Grade 2)

JA Our Families explains how family members' jobs and businesses contribute to the well-being of the family and of the community. The program introduces the concept of needs and wants and explores the ways families plan for and acquire goods and services. Students analyze their own skills to determine ways they can support their families. (Grade 1)

JA Our Nation provides practical information about the need for employees who can meet the demands of the 21st century job market, particularly high-growth, high-demand jobs. By program's end, students will understand the skills, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math, that will make their futures brighter. (Grade 5)

JA Our Region introduces students to entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurs use resources to produce goods and services in a region. Students operate a hypothetical hot dog stand to understand the fundamental tasks performed by a business owner and to track the revenue and expenses of a business. (Grade 4)

JA Ourselves uses storybook characters in read-aloud and hands-on activities to introduce the role people play in an economy. Through engaging, volunteer-led activities, young students learn about individual choices, money, the importance of saving and giving, and the value of work. (Kindergarten)

JA Personal Finance explores the fundamental elements of personal finances: earnings, saving and investing, budgeting, credit, risk management, and giving. Students apply these elements to a personal financial plan that allows them to set specific goals for their lifelong financial needs and desired quality of life. (Grades 9-12)

JA Titan allows students to operate a virtual company through a Web-based simulation. The students' success depends on decisions about their product's price and their company's marketing, research and development, and business practices. Win or lose, students gain an understanding of how management decisions affect a company's bottom line. (Grades 9-12)

JA Inspires Career Fair is an event that takes place in the Springtime. It is for 5th grade and high school students and provides them the opportunity to explore a variety of careers in the Pittsburgh region. Company representatives share information about skills, training, and salary to the students.

Eighth grade students to participate in four sessions based on careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Implementation:Classroom-Based

Entrepreneurship:

Financial Literacy:

Work Readiness:

High School Programs

As high school students begin to position themselves for their future, there are many unanswered questions about what lies ahead. Junior Achievement’s high school programs help students make informed, intelligent decisions about their future, and foster skills that will be highly useful in the business world.

JA Be Entrepreneurial challenges students, through interactive classroom activities, to start their own entrepreneurial venture while still in high school. The program provides useful, practical content to assist teens in the transition from being students to productive, contributing members of society. (Grades 9-12)

JA Career Success equips students with the knowledge required to get and keep a job in high-growth industries. Students will explore the crucial workplace skills employers seek but often find lacking in young employees. Students also will learn about valuable tools to find that perfect job, including resumes, cover letters, and interviewing techniques. (Grades 9-12)

JA Company Program unlocks the innate ability in high school students to fill a need or solve a problem in their community by launching a business venture and unleashing their entrepreneurial spirit. The program focuses on Company Ops, the majority of meeting time, where students build and manage their business. Meeting-specific, student-friendly materials and resources increase student interaction and emphasize JA’s experiential approach to learning. (Grades 9-12)

JA Economics reinforces concepts of micro- and macro-economics by having students explore the basic characteristics of the U.S. economic system and how economic principles influence business decisions. It also introduces students to consumer issues, such as saving, investing, and taxation. (Grades 11-12)

JA Exploring Economics uses hands-on activities to explain complex economic concepts such as supply and demand, inflation, and the production, distribution and consumption of goods. It gives insight into the effect governments and individuals have on the global economy— and on the price of a loaf of bread. (Grades 9-12)

JA Job Shadow prepares students to be entrepreneurial thinkers in their approach to work. In-class sessions prepare students for a visit to a professional work environment, where they will face a series of challenges administered by their workplace hosts. Students learn how to research career opportunities and the skills needed to land and keep their dream job. (Grades 9-12)

JA Personal Finance explores the fundamental elements of personal finances: earnings, saving and investing, budgeting, credit, risk management, and giving. Students apply these elements to a personal financial plan that allows them to set specific goals for their lifelong financial needs and desired quality of life. (Grades 9-12)

JA Titan allows students to operate a virtual company through a Web-based simulation. The students' success depends on decisions about their product's price and their company's marketing, research and development, and business practices. Win or lose, students gain an understanding of how management decisions affect a company's bottom line. (Grades 9-12)

JA Inspires Career Fair is an event that takes place in the Springtime. It is for 5th grade and high school students and provides them the opportunity to explore a variety of careers in the Pittsburgh region. Company representatives share information about skills, training, and salary to the students.

Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania partners with community organizations to welcome and attract a new, future workforce pool of talent from our refugee youth.

Implementation:Classroom-Based

Entrepreneurship:

Financial Literacy:

Work Readiness:

Middle School Programs

The middle grades programs build on concepts the students learned in Junior Achievement’s elementary school program and help teens make difficult decisions about how to best prepare for their educational and professional future. The programs supplement standard social studies curricula and develop communication skills that are essential to success in the business world.

JA Economics for Success gives students the information needed to build strong personal finances, a cornerstone to a happy, secure life. Students learn the importance of exploring career options based on their skills, interests, and values. They also learn about spending money within a budget; saving and investing wisely; and using credit cautiously. (Grades 6-8)

JA Global Marketplace Blended Model introduces students to the global marketplace and the ways in which countries buy and sell from each other. Through completion of this program, students will gain an understanding of producers and consumers in the interconnected global market. (Grades 6-8)

JA Global Marketplace takes students on a spin around the world. Students learn the products they use every day, like their backpacks and sneakers, might use raw material from one country, be assembled in another, and sold from Peking to Chicago. The program helps students understand how goods flow through various economies and the effect globalization has on their lives. (Grades 6-8)

JA It's My Business! encourages students to use critical thinking to learn entrepreneurial skills. Those skills include knowing customers' wants and needs, launching effective marketing, and creating detailed business plans. By examining the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, students learn that a belief in one's self can make positive things happen in life. (Grades 6-8)

JA It’s My Future provides practical information about preparing for the working world. Students learn about career clusters, high-growth jobs, career planning, and creating a personal brand. And, through a scavenger hunt, they are introduced to the basic aspects of job hunting. (Grades 6-8)

JA Inspires Career Fair is an event that takes place in the Springtime. It is for 5th grade and high school students and provides them the opportunity to explore a variety of careers in the Pittsburgh region. Company representatives share information about skills, training, and salary to the students.

Eighth grade students to participate in four sessions based on careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Implementation:Classroom-Based

Entrepreneurship:

Financial Literacy:

Work Readiness:

Elementary School Programs

JA’s elementary school programs are the foundation of its K-12 curricula. Six sequential themes, each with five hands-on activities, as well as an after-school and capstone experience, work to change students’ lives by helping them understand business and economics.

JA More than Money introduces students to financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and to social studies learning objectives that include money-management skills, goods and services, and global markets. Through hands-on activities and a JA cast of characters serving as symbols for financial literacy and entrepreneurship concepts, students will learn a practical approach to starting a business and making smart decisions about managing money. (Grades 3-5)

JA Our City featuring Cha-Ching introduces students to financial literacy and learning objectives for third–grade social studies, including how people manage their money and the importance of economic exchange within a city. (Grade 3)

JA Our Community uses posters and games to offer practical information about businesses and the many jobs those businesses offer in a community. Students explore production methods through a simulation game, and they learn about taxes, decision making, and how money flows in an economy. (Grade 2)

JA Our Families explains how family members' jobs and businesses contribute to the well-being of the family and of the community. The program introduces the concept of needs and wants and explores the ways families plan for and acquire goods and services. Students analyze their own skills to determine ways they can support their families. (Grade 1)

JA Our Nation provides practical information about the need for employees who can meet the demands of the 21st century job market, particularly high-growth, high-demand jobs. By program's end, students will understand the skills, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math, that will make their futures brighter. (Grade 5)

JA Our Region introduces students to entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurs use resources to produce goods and services in a region. Students operate a hypothetical hot dog stand to understand the fundamental tasks performed by a business owner and to track the revenue and expenses of a business. (Grade 4)

JA Ourselves uses storybook characters in read-aloud and hands-on activities to introduce the role people play in an economy. Through engaging, volunteer-led activities, young students learn about individual choices, money, the importance of saving and giving, and the value of work. (Kindergarten)

Implementation:Classroom-Based

Entrepreneurship:

Financial Literacy:

Work Readiness:

Locally Developed Programs

Programs developed locally by Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania

JA Inspires Career Fair is an event that takes place in the Springtime. It is for 5th grade and high school students and provides them the opportunity to explore a variety of careers in the Pittsburgh region. Company representatives share information about skills, training, and salary to the students.

Survey results prove that JA is preparing students to develop successful financial management habits, empowering them to explore the potential of becoming an entrepreneur, and providing them the skills necessary to succeed in a global economy.